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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Different effects of bio/non-degradable microplastics on sewage sludge compost performance: Focusing on antibiotic resistance genes, virulence factors and key metabolic functions
ClearPotential environmental risks of field bio/non-degradable microplastic from mulching residues in farmland: Evidence from metagenomic analysis of plastisphere
Researchers analyzed the microbes living on biodegradable and conventional plastic mulch fragments in farm soil and found that both types harbored antibiotic resistance genes and disease-causing bacteria, including human pathogens. Surprisingly, the biodegradable plastic (PBAT/PLA) had a higher diversity and abundance of resistance genes than conventional polyethylene. This challenges the assumption that biodegradable plastics are always safer and raises concerns about antibiotic resistance spreading from farm microplastics.
Microplastics exacerbate antibiotic resistance by regulating microbial and functional gene dynamics in sludge and food waste composting
Researchers analyzed the impact of polyethylene, polypropylene, and mixed PE+PP microplastics on antibiotic resistance gene propagation during sewage sludge and food waste composting. Microplastics significantly increased ARG abundance — with PE showing the highest enrichment at 2.06 log-fold — by altering microbial community dynamics and promoting horizontal gene transfer through mobile genetic elements.
Biodegradable microplastics induced the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes and virulence factors in soil: A metagenomic perspective
Researchers found that biodegradable microplastics promoted the spread of antibiotic resistance genes and virulence factors in soil at levels comparable to conventional microplastics, challenging assumptions about their environmental safety.
Effects of polypropylene microplastics on digestion performance, microbial community, and antibiotic resistance during microbial anaerobic digestion
Researchers studied how polypropylene microplastics affect the anaerobic digestion process used to treat wastewater sludge. While small amounts of microplastics slightly increased methane production, they also promoted the spread of antibiotic resistance genes among bacteria in the digesters. This means microplastics in wastewater systems could contribute to the growing problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which poses a serious threat to human health.
Metagenomic Analysis Reveals the Effects of Microplastics on Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Sludge Anaerobic Digestion
Researchers used metagenomic analysis to study how microplastics in sewage sludge affect the spread of antibiotic resistance genes during anaerobic digestion. They found that microplastics increased antibiotic resistance gene levels by up to 30 percent, with polyethylene having the strongest effect, and also boosted the mobile genetic elements that help resistance genes spread between bacteria. The findings raise concerns about microplastics facilitating the spread of antibiotic resistance through wastewater treatment systems.
Different microplastics distinctively enriched the antibiotic resistance genes in anaerobic sludge digestion through shifting specific hosts and promoting horizontal gene flow
Researchers examined how polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride microplastics affect antibiotic resistance genes during sewage sludge digestion and found that both plastic types promoted the spread of resistance genes, but through different mechanisms. Polyethylene surfaces attracted specific bacteria that carry resistance genes, while PVC promoted horizontal gene transfer between organisms. The study raises concerns about wastewater treatment plants becoming hotspots for antibiotic resistance when microplastics are present.
Polymer type and aging drive the selective enrichment of antibiotic resistance genes and pathogens in microplastics biofilms
Researchers compared how microorganisms colonize conventional polypropylene versus biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics in a wetland environment. They found that while biodegradable PLA attracted fewer total microbes, it actually enriched a higher proportion of antibiotic-resistant pathogens and resistance genes, especially after environmental aging. The findings raise important questions about whether biodegradable plastics may pose unexpected risks as carriers of antibiotic resistance in aquatic ecosystems.
Impacts of microplastic type on the fate of antibiotic resistance genes and horizontal gene transfer mechanism during anaerobic digestion
Researchers examined how three types of microplastics affect antibiotic resistance genes during the anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge. They found that while microplastics actually increased methane production, they also decreased the overall abundance of antibiotic resistance genes but changed how those genes spread between bacteria. The study reveals a complex interaction where microplastics may reduce some resistance genes while promoting the horizontal transfer of others during waste treatment.
From wastewater to sludge: The role of microplastics in shaping anaerobic digestion performance and antibiotic resistance gene dynamics
This review examines how microplastics in wastewater treatment plants affect the anaerobic digestion process used to break down sewage sludge, finding that certain plastic types can either boost or reduce biogas production depending on conditions. Importantly, microplastics increased the abundance of antibiotic resistance genes by up to 514%, raising serious concerns that wastewater treatment -- meant to protect public health -- may instead become a breeding ground for antibiotic-resistant bacteria when microplastics are present.
Incomplete degradation of aromatic–aliphatic copolymer leads to proliferation of microplastics and antibiotic resistance genes
This study found that incomplete composting of biodegradable aromatic-aliphatic copolymer plastics releases microplastic fragments and alters microbial community composition in compost, raising questions about whether biodegradable plastics are adequately treated in standard composting conditions.
Microplastics deteriorate the removal efficiency of antibiotic resistance genes during aerobic sludge digestion
Polypropylene and polyethylene microplastics added to aerobic sludge digesters significantly reduced the removal efficiency of antibiotic resistance genes during digestion, with plastic particles enriching resistant bacteria on their surfaces and impeding the normal treatment-associated decline in ARG abundance, posing a risk for sludge land application.
Effect of microplastics on antibiotic resistome risk in composting
Researchers examined how polypropylene microplastics affect antibiotic resistance gene levels during composting of laying hen manure. The study found that while microplastics increased compost temperature, they did not significantly change the overall composition or risk score of antibiotic resistance genes, though they did influence which bacterial communities colonized the microplastic surfaces versus the surrounding manure.
Microplastics Enhance the Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Anaerobic Sludge Digestion by Enriching Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria in Surface Biofilm and Facilitating the Vertical and Horizontal Gene Transfer
This study found that microplastics in sewage sludge promote the spread of antibiotic resistance genes, which make bacteria harder to treat with antibiotics. Microplastics provided a surface for resistant bacteria to grow and helped them share resistance genes with other bacteria. The more microplastics present, the more antibiotic resistance spread, raising concerns about how plastic pollution in wastewater could contribute to the growing antibiotic resistance crisis.
Biodegradable microplastics show greater potential than conventional types in facilitating antibiotic resistance gene enrichment and transfer through viral communities
Researchers compared how conventional and biodegradable microplastics affect viral communities and antibiotic resistance genes in agricultural soils and found that biodegradable plastics posed a greater risk. Biodegradable microplastics significantly enriched high-risk antibiotic resistance genes and mobile genetic elements regardless of fertilizer type, while conventional microplastics had more limited effects. The study challenges the assumption that biodegradable plastics are inherently safer for soil ecosystems.
[Effects of Typical Microplastics on Methanogenesis and Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Anaerobic Digestion of Sludge].
Researchers explored the impacts of polyamide, polyethylene, and polypropylene microplastics on methanogenesis and antibiotic resistance gene dynamics during anaerobic digestion of waste sludge, examining how microplastic contamination affects both biogas production and resistance gene enrichment.
DeterminingAntimicrobial Resistance in the Plastisphere:Lower Risks of Nonbiodegradable vs Higher Risks of Biodegradable Microplastics
Researchers determined the prevalence and diversity of antimicrobial resistance genes in the plastisphere (biofilm on microplastics) compared to surrounding water and sediment, finding that non-biodegradable plastics hosted distinct resistance gene profiles with lower overall resistance risk than biodegradable plastic surfaces.
Deciphering the role of polyethylene microplastics on antibiotic resistance genes and mobile genetic elements fate in sludge thermophilic anaerobic digestion process
Researchers investigated how polyethylene microplastics affect antibiotic resistance genes and mobile genetic elements during sewage sludge thermophilic anaerobic digestion. The study found that microplastic contamination increased the abundance of antibiotic resistance genes and showed a strong positive correlation between microplastic concentration and mobile genetic element content, suggesting microplastics may promote the spread of antibiotic resistance.
Effects of aging of polyethylene microplastics and polystyrene nanoplastics on antibiotic resistance gene transfer during primary sludge fermentation
This study found that aged (weathered) microplastics and nanoplastics promoted the spread of antibiotic resistance genes during sewage sludge treatment more than fresh plastics did. The weathering process changed the surface properties of the plastics, making them better carriers for drug-resistant bacteria and their genes. This is concerning because sludge from treatment plants is often applied to farmland, potentially spreading antibiotic resistance through soil and into the food supply.
Insight into effects of polyethylene microplastics in anaerobic digestion systems of waste activated sludge: Interactions of digestion performance, microbial communities and antibiotic resistance genes
Polyethylene microplastics in anaerobic digestion systems processing waste activated sludge increased hydrolysis efficiency at 1 mm particle sizes but also altered microbial community composition and enriched antibiotic resistance genes. The findings suggest that MPs in sludge management pose risks for spreading ARGs through land application of digested biosolids.
Biodegradable and conventional microplastics as vectors of extracellular ARGs in WWTP effluents: Mechanistic and differential global health risk
Researchers characterized extracellular antibiotic resistance genes bound to biodegradable and non-biodegradable microplastics in wastewater treatment plant effluents, finding mechanistic differences in how each plastic type associates with resistance gene-carrying DNA and estimating resulting global health risks.
Source, occurrence, migration and potential environmental risk of microplastics in sewage sludge and during sludge amendment to soil
This review examines microplastics in sewage sludge and the risks of applying sludge as agricultural fertilizer, finding that sludge acts as both a sink for sewage microplastics and a source when spread on fields. Co-accumulated heavy metals, antibiotics, and antibiotic resistance genes on microplastics further complicate the environmental risks of sludge amendment to soils.
New insight into the effect of microplastics on antibiotic resistance and bacterial community of biofilm
Researchers found that different types of microplastics promote distinct biofilm communities and enhance antibiotic resistance gene proliferation compared to natural substrates, suggesting microplastics serve as unique platforms for the spread of antimicrobial resistance.
Microplastics as hubs enriching antibiotic-resistant bacteria and pathogens in municipal activated sludge
Researchers demonstrated that microplastics in municipal wastewater treatment plants act as "hubs," selectively concentrating antibiotic-resistant bacteria and pathogens in their surface biofilms, with antibiotic-resistance genes enriched up to 4.5-fold compared to sand particles — raising concerns about microplastics spreading drug-resistant microbes into the environment.
The impact of various microplastics on bacterial community and antimicrobial resistance genes in Norwegian and South African wastewater
Researchers investigated how various microplastic types affect bacterial community composition and antimicrobial resistance gene prevalence in wastewater treatment plants in Norway and South Africa, examining whether plastic debris promotes antimicrobial resistance dissemination.